Lea Webb tops Leslie Danks Burke in Democratic primary for NY Senate District 52

Former Binghamton City Council member Lea Webb will be moving on to the general election in November as the Democratic candidate for the 52nd Senate District seat.

Webb defeated Leslie Danks Burke, of Ithaca, on Tuesday in a Democratic Party primary. With all 196 election districts reporting, Webb captured nearly 59% of the vote, topping Danks Burke 10,976 to 6,953.

The results are unofficial at this point and don't include absentee ballots.

Danks Burke, the founder of the Trailblazers political action committee, has made two previous bids for the state Senate, both in the 58th District. She lost to Republican Sen. Tom O’Mara in 2016 and 2020.

Webb is a former member of the Binghamton City Council. Elected in 2008, she was the first African-American and the youngest person ever elected to the city council.

The newly formed 52nd Senate District includes all of Cortland and Tompkins counties and a portion of Broome County, including the city of Binghamton and the towns of Binghamton, Chenango, Dickinson, Lisle, Maine, Nanticoke, Union and Vestal.

According to the New York State Board of Elections, there are about 77,000 active enrolled Democrats in the 52nd Senate District.

Results:See live election results

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Republican Sen. Fred Akshar, who has held the seat since 2015, is not running for reelection.

The winner of the primary will face Republican Richard David, the former mayor of Binghamton, in the Nov. 8 general election.